Award-Winning San Elijo Hills Offers New Homes

San Elijo Hills is an exciting new, easy access, family-friendly, master planned residential community on the hilltops and valleys of beautiful San Marcos. Yes, San Elijo Hills has it all including its ideal location on the highest point in San Diego’s coastal North County with commanding views of the blue Pacific and the beautiful California coast. Gentle breezes cool the air at this family friendly coastal community. Homeowners are attracted to its award-winning designs, which include a variety of home options from townhomes and affordable housing to single-family homes and estate size residences.

Its greatest appeal, though, is its small-town charm and family-friendly atmosphere with its new schools with superior academic rankings, playgrounds and wonder ful little shops clustered around a state-of-the-art 40,000 sq. ft. Albertsons supermarket. All of these amenities and more make San Elijo Hills a worthy discovery. Yet, on a bigger picture, San Elijo Hills stands apart from any other master-planned community because of its years of thoughtful planning focused on being an ideal family-friendly community.

How to Get There

San Elijo Hills is freeway close to downtown San Diego. In fact, it is only 35 minutes away. See the map in this chapter as well as the San Diego County map. Consulting these maps is important because there are so many easy ways to get to and from San Elijo Hills.

If you are traveling on the I-5 take the La Costa exit. Go east for about four miles to Rancho Santa Fe Road. Turn left and go north for two miles to San Elijo Road. Then go east for about a mile. Coming from the north, exit at Palomar Airport Road, travel east five miles, then turn right at Melrose Drive and continue until you reach San Elijo Road. Turn left and continue about a mile into The Towncenter.

Yet, the newest and perhaps the most popular thoroughfare leading into the heart of the San Elijo Business District is via a short five-minute drive south from Hwy. 78, exiting at Twin Oaks Valley Road South, which turns into San Elijo Hills Road. And when you arrive, you’ll like what you find. The views from here are tremendous, both of the ocean and of the rolling hills. In fact, there are few places in San Diego County that have such a wonderful combination of positive features. It’s no wonder that San Elijo Hills has been named “Master-Planned Community of the Year” by the National Association of Home Builders.

The Towncenter

The tree-lined parkway leading into the heart of the community travels past a small stream that flows from a rocky ledge. A tasteful marker announces that you have arrived at San Elijo Hills and the Towncenter.

The whole community achieves a focus and unity from this unique Towncenter. The Towncenter is built around a picturesque town square, which includes the fabulously popular and casual Relm (1) at the corner of San Elijo Rd. and Elfin Forest Rd. This wine bar is a popular meeting place to have a glass of wine and conversation. This neighborhood feeling is what the developers sought to achieve from the inception of San Elijo Hills and this local feeling has definitely been achieved here at San Elijo Hills.

The Towncenter (2) is a work in progress, anticipated to be completed over the next three to four years as the community grows. The Towncenter concept features a fully functioning small town that includes restaurants and cafés, retail stores and boutiques.

Here to is The Visitor Center (2) (760-798-1765) which is open daily 10a.m.–5 p.m. It provides a wealth of current information on the latest housing developments. So you should definitely visit the center.

Already complete, in the heart of the village’s Towncenter (2), is a Chevron Gas Station (10) with a mini-mar t and across the street are a cluster of user friendly shops including a Postal Annex at 1501 San Elijo Rd. (760-471-4748); for all of your dry cleaning needs there is the Windmill Cleaners at 1501 San Elijo Rd. (760-510-1788). Here too is a big, beautiful Albertsons Supermarket at 1571 San Elijo Rd. (760-798-1058). It’s open every day from 5 a.m.–midnight. If you are craving a place to have pizza and watch your favorite sports team, you are looking for Hendo’s LOCAL for Pizza and Pints at 1523 San Elijo Rd. (760-798-0522), which is also in the cluster of shops. For a sweet treat go to Yogurt Utopia at 1523 San Elijo Rd. (760-591-9479). They are open daily. Here too is the Hills Dentistry (760-798-7166) and Scott Jacobs Studio (760-510-9913). A kid- friendly destination in the village is called A Colorful Universe at 1523 San Elijo Rd. (760-761-0476). Here moms, dads and especially kids can create ceramic or glass candle stick holders. And what would a shopping village be without a yogurt shop, a place to get your nails done, or a wine bar?

Rounding out the amenities that make San Elijo Hills so family-friendly are a K- 5th elementary school and a 6th-8th middle school within walking distance of your home. The high school is the well established San Marcos High School (11) home of the Knights, whose campus is located a few miles away. The 2014 API scores put San Marcos High School at the top of the area public schools.

Also located in the village are attractive, attached row townhouses and lofts above village shops. For information on resales contact Hometown Realty at 1501 San Elijo Rd. (760-798-1784). Having virtually every one of your immediate needs steps away from your home is very appealing because The Towncenter is pedestrian-friendly. Controlled traffic patterns and clustered services make this a very walkable place. Everything is within easy reach so that residents can run errands, catch up with friends, or just leisurely window-shop. The end result is a closeness and neighborliness, something found mostly in smaller, more established towns, and part of a disappearing American heritage.

This is a community in the making. Every day sees more growth and building. In the next several years the community will grow to a population of more than 10,000 residents and 3,400 homes. It is precisely this growth that makes this community so dynamic.

The Homes

Thoughtful design, amazing variety, a wide range of prices and a fabulous location all combine to make this an attractive place to live. It begins with the community’s architects and builders. Chosen for their reputation and past achievements, they have created award-winning designs for the community and its homes. See Real Estate.

Current home builders selling at San Elijo Hills include an offering by Richmond American called Sanctuary. You can contact the Sanctuary office at 760-653-7010. These homes incorporate enchanting architecture inspired by the French countryside, as well as Italy’s Tuscany region. Then there are homes influenced by the romance of Colonial Spain and homes featuring the classic American craftsman movement. These stunning homes offer home buyers four versatile modern floor plans to choose from. The four floor plans range in size from 2,864 sq. ft. to 4,213 sq. ft. and offer 3 to 7 bedrooms and 2.5 to 7 bathrooms in both single and two stories. These impressive homes are priced to sell from the $800,000s.

The Bella Vista (19) neighborhood in San Elijo Hills by Ryland Homes (760-744-5260) offers a $800,000 single family home with five bedrooms and 3,461 to 3,776 sq. ft. As the community develops, the mix of home builders may change, but the community’s high standards will not.

Here at San Elijo Hills, there are homes for every taste, need and pocketbook. Whether you are a first time buyer, trading up, or moving from somewhere else, you can find a home to meet your needs an lifestyle. The selection includes townhouses, detached homes, single- and two-story homes,even estate homes. Homes are currently priced from the upper $300,000s into $1 million and from approximately 1,100 sq. ft.– 6,000 sq. ft.

The homes are and will continue to be architecturally diverse, with each neighborhood having its own identity. There are homes with porches, some with balconies, many with shutters, and all have tiled roofs. Homes are designed to reflect the traditional styles of coastal California communities built in the 1920s and 1930s. All are designed to be very attractive, extremely livable, and technologically up-to-date.

The natural boundaries provided by the surrounding hills give San Elijo Hills a sense of peacefulness, buffering the community from the rest of San Marcos. Its proximity to the coast also means that it is cooled by gentle ocean breezes. What a perfect place to live!

Bella Vista, designed by Ryland Homes, offers single-family homes with up to five bedrooms and up to 3,776 square feet and priced to sell for $800,000.

Sanctuary, by Richmond American offers both single and two story homes from 2,864 sq. ft. to 4,213 sq. ft. and offer 3 to 7 bedrooms and 2.5 to 7 bathrooms starting in the $800,000s.

Trails and Open Space

Many say Southern California is paradise because of its fantastic climate. All those days of sunshine and moderate weather allow residents to follow their love of the outdoors. San Elijo Hills recognizes this Southern California lifestyle and caters to it. This is a community that values open space, fitness and closeness to nature.

To fulfill this commitment, San Elijo Hills has more than 18 miles of trails. The trail system is the most diverse in San Diego County and meanders through the community on well over 1,000 acres of open space. Throughout, it incorporates picturesque views for the hikers to enjoy.

What is even more significant is that there are trails for every type of hiker, from the casual stroller to the avid trail buff. With colorful and descriptive names like the Discovery Trail, Sunset Trail, Quarry and Canyon Trail, the trails travel over varied terrain so that hikers have plenty of options while they explore with nature.

Just as the trails vary in terrain, they also vary in length and type. Trails range in length from a quarter-mile to three-quarter-miles, and longer. Included in the design are plenty of trails for biking and jogging. Hard to overlook for its 360 degree view is a trek to the top of Double Peak Regional Park (6). It’s a challenge for avid bikers and joggers alike. Yet, it is easily accessible by automobile as well. On a clear day the view is absolutely breathtaking. Scenic and serene, lush and lively, the trails bind the community to its surroundings and are yet another wonderful amenity of beautiful San Elijo Hills.

Education

Schools are an important part of any community and can greatly influence a decision to purchase a home. San Elijo Hills makes that decision easy with their state-of-the-art San Elijo Elementary School (4) (760-290-2600) and a 6th–8th San Elijo Middle School (3) (760- 290-2800), which are ideally located in the heart of the village. As part of the Towncenter, their location makes them easily accessible. Parents can be confident that their children will receive a solid education as San Marcos Unified School District has award-winning schools and a strong instructional program.

It is important to note that San Elijo Hills is surrounded by several outstanding higher education institutions. Palomar Community College (18), which is minutes away is recognized as one of the country’s premier community colleges. With over fifty years of experience, they ser ve more than 30,000 students in their Associate of Arts and Associate of Science programs.

Equally solid in its educational program is the California State University at San Marcos (7). Cal State San Marcos, as it is known, has strong business administration and liberal arts programs. With a student body of more than 10,000 students, it offers a much more personal approach to education. Its teacher credentialing program is among the best in California.

Community Parks

Near San Elijo Hills’ schools and Towncenter is a 19-acre Community Park (5). San Elijo Hills Park is home to a host of activities and further adds to the identity of the community. Cheers rise from the ball fields as parents and neighbors urge on their softball or soccer teams. The fact that the fields are lighted is an added plus, extending the hours that they can be used.

The park also has a Community Center. The multi-use facility includes a day care facility and rooms for meetings, parties and lectures. Other attractive features of the park include two tot lots, trails, an interactive water feature and a dog park.

Another amenity in the park is an outdoor classroom that can be used for small gatherings. And of course there are picnic areas where families gather for leisurely outings, barbecuing, flying kites, playing tag or just relaxing in the California sun with friends.

The park includes plenty of open spaces and a Vista Point. Whether strolling along a path or relaxing on a well-placed bench, from this vantage point residents enjoy the fantastic ocean views that are part of San Elijo Hills.

Wi-Fi Friendly

San Elijo Hills is truly special in that it is a wired community. The community planners had the foresight not to make technology just another add-on, but an integral part of the community itself. Homes are fully wired to accommodate the latest in technology. The community itself has its own private network that allows homeowners to connect with each other and access the community calendar and news.

Community Events

San Elijo Hills is certainly a vibrant family-friendly community. Its community spirit demonstrates itself time and again throughout the year in a number of civic-minded events. Residents can even go Online for the local events.

The many events include the Egg Hunt, summer concerts in the park, movies in the park the OktoberFest and a Holiday Tree Lighting. Community spirit and involvement remain a priority in San Elijo Hills and are strongly promoted. See Real Estate.

With it’s 1,900 acres of total acreage and of that acreage 1,100 acres has been set aside for open space, it’s easy to see why this family-friendly community has become a sought after place to raise a family. The quality of life here, just can’t be beat.

Barry Berndes’ 49th Annual San Diegan

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